The Biden administration took steps Thursday to safeguard an iconic bird species of the Western United States — but did so in only two out of the 10 states where such protections were anticipated.
The Bureau of Land Management announced that it would sign records of decision to improve the conservation of greater sage-grouse on public lands in Colorado and Oregon.
Although this decision could be critical for longevity of the sage-grouse in these two areas, a proposal released just two months ago had signaled that such protections would apply to 10 states — and could be issued before President-elect Trump takes office.
The greater sage-grouse, which has long been suffering from population decline, is considered an indicator species: a species whose well-being indicates the vitality of others in the surrounding sagebrush ecosystem.
Known for their unique spiked plumage and chunky, round bodies, the sage-grouse have fallen prey to the impacts of climate change, according to the bureau.
The birds — which require up to 40 square miles of intact landscape to stay healthy — also inhabit the same areas that house a wealth of oil, gas and mineral resources.
Whether the plans finalized Thursday will stay intact once Trump takes office is unknown, as he previously sought to revoke protections of the bird on 10 million acres of public lands.
And while a federal judge ultimately overturned that decision, Trump has vowed to ramp up domestic fossil fuel production.
The habitat conservation measures approved for Colorado and Oregon on Thursday will help support communities in the West and benefit more than 350 wildfire species, according to the bureau.
The agency said it had also completed administrative processes for records of decision in North Dakota, South Dakota and California and is prepared to issue them in these three states.
As for the remaining five, the bureau said it was working with the states to finalize decisions for sagebrush areas, with a goal of both improving habitat conservation and staying consistent with individual state priorities.
“These decisions are the result of our ongoing commitment to work with states to enhance protections that have been in place for nearly a decade,” Nada Wolff Culver, Bureau of Land Management principal deputy director, said in a statement.
Multiple environmental organizations slammed the Biden administration’s Thursday announcement, criticizing the bureau in a joint statement for having “signaled its intentions to leave the decisions affecting the five key states of Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Nevada to the Trump administration.”
“The new Biden plans leave the first Trump administration’s gutting of sage grouse conservation largely in place,” Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project, said in a statement.
“The sagebrush sea needs consistent, science-based protections to safeguard sage grouse, other wildlife, and irreplaceable recreation lands — not this politicized crazy-quilt of loopholes and half-measures that sell out western public lands to the special interests,” Molvar added.
Joanna Zhang, endangered species advocate for WildEarth Guardians, described the greater sage-grouse as “a symbol of the America West,” stressing that “without stronger range wide protections, it could vanish from our landscapes forever.”
“Protecting sage-grouse is not just about saving a species — it’s about safeguarding the health of the sagebrush sea, especially in the face of Trump’s plans for energy dominance,” Zhang added.
